Jewels of the Arctic: Svalbard & East Greenland

Upon arrival in Oslo, make your way to your group airport hotel, located just a five-minute walk from the International Terminal. At your included hotel, please visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk to collect your luggage cabin tags and to speak with the ground operations team, who may have information to share with you about pre-embarkation or can provide details about where to dine, withdraw cash, or purchase last-minute items from a local pharmacy or supermarket.

The remainder of your time is at leisure. All meals today are at your own expense.

Accommodation: Radisson Blu Airport Hotel

This morning, please ensure your cabin luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labeled with your name and cabin number. Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before walking to the airport for the charter flight to Longyearbyen for embarkation. Any valuables or personal items should be kept on you throughout the day. In Longyearbyen, explore the town on a guided tour.

After the tour, transfer directly to the pier to embark in the late afternoon. Settle into your cabin before attending important safety briefings, and enjoy the thrill of departure as the lines are thrown and the ship sets sail.

Note: The excursion is contingent on the arrival time of the charter flight to Longyearbyen.

Svalbard offers arctic wilderness at its best. The members of the experienced Expedition Team, who have made countless journeys to this area, use their expertise to tailor the itinerary, choosing the best options based on prevailing weather, sea-ice conditions, and opportunities for wildlife encounters.

Phenomenal fjords, magnificent mountain ranges, and a polar desert rich in fossils set the stage for heroic tales of early exploration. See walrus hauled out on sea ice or on beaches. On land, stretch your legs on walks across tundra carpeted in brightly colored wildflowers. Visit towering cliffs noisy with nesting guillemots and puffins, and scree slopes that hold Svalbard’s largest little auk colonies.

If you have chosen an optional activity such as kayaking, expect an opportunity to enjoy that activity when conditions allow. For those who are enthusiastic to participate in a polar plunge, as soon as conditions are suitable, listen for the announcement to prepare for an exhilarating dip—a memory to savor for years to come.

As the ship sails toward the coast of East Greenland, watch for whales feeding in the rich waters of the north. Upon approaching East Greenland, be prepared to encounter more pack ice and perhaps spot seals and a variety of seabirds, including the northern fulmar and Brünnich’s guillemot.

The strong, icy currents have isolated East Greenland from the Polar Basin, attracting large numbers of fish, seals, and whales. Climatic conditions and the concentration of ice in the vicinity often create thick morning fog that only vanishes in the presence of the midday sun. The onboard experts inform and entertain with fascinating discussions on plants, animals, ice, and heroic tales of exploration.

In the coming days, a host of choices are available, and depending on ice and weather conditions, the east coast of Greenland is ready for exploration. The experienced Expedition Team, who have made countless journeys to this area, use their expertise to tailor the itinerary on a day-to-day basis. This allows for making the best use of the prevailing weather, ice conditions, and encounters with wildlife. Expect up to two landings or Zodiac excursions per day, including cruising along spectacular ice cliffs, following whales feeding near the surface.

Be prepared to experience ice—and lots of it! East Greenland contains some of the Arctic’s most impressive scenery. Deep fjords and narrow channels, flanked by sharp ice-clad peaks soaring up to 2,000 meters (6,562 feet), and glaciers birthing gigantic icebergs that drift throughout the fjord system, combine to create breathtaking scenes.

The tundra landscape is home to musk oxen, arctic hare, and reindeer. Throughout the area, there are ancient Thule archaeological sites, historical trappers’ huts, and the cabins of present-day Inuit hunters. A highlight is a visit to the Inuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated and northernmost permanent settlement in the region, with approximately 450 inhabitants. The community has an excellent museum, gift shop, an abundance of Greenlandic sled dogs, and provides the opportunity to meet the friendly locals.   

Anticipate exploring Scoresbysund, the world’s largest fjord and a favorite hunting ground of the local Inuit. Massive glaciers flow into this fjord, the birthplace of hundreds of majestic Greenland icebergs. It is a spectacular place that simply needs to be seen to be believed. North of Scoresbysund lie Kong Oskar and Kaiser Franz Josef fjords, two of the most significant fjord systems in Greenland, each one encompassing several smaller fjords and sounds. Thanks to the fertile volcanic soil and the surrounding mountains offering protection from strong winds, the area is rich in wildlife. You may spot everything from musk ox and arctic foxes to mountain hares, and even reindeer, near the fjord. Look skyward to potentially catch a glimpse of birds, including the glaucous gull, black-legged kittiwake, northern fulmar, common raven, and common eider.   

The team attempts to reach Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord, a remote and rarely visited fjord system with countless opportunities for exploration, located within Northeast Greenland National Park. While cruising through Kong Oskar Fjord, marvel at the geological beauty of the mountains. The journey then heads south along the coast of Liverpool Land, with the passage dependent on ice conditions.   

Stretch your legs on hikes across the tundra in search of ancient graveyards and summer villages occupied 3,000 years ago by the Inuit. Keep an eye out for grazing musk ox, arctic hare, and reindeer. The maze of calm, interconnecting waterways in this area provides excellent opportunities for sea kayaking. Expect to see ring seals, perhaps catch a glimpse of the elusive narwhal, and maybe even spot a polar bear hunting on pack ice.

Crossing the Denmark Strait to Iceland, search for whale blows and photograph the many seabirds that trail the ship in the ever-present Arctic winds.

During the early morning, cruise into Reykjavik and disembark at approximately 8:00 AM. Bid farewell to your Expedition Team and fellow passengers before continuing on your onward journey. Transfer to Keflavik Airport.

Note: At the conclusion of the voyage, it is recommended to book flights departing after 12:00 PM on the day of disembarkation in case there are delays.